Just another job, almost
by Armongo
Summary: Higure, the infamous ninja, has started another job, to which results will it lead?This is my first MTG fanfic, please R&R.CHAPTER 2 UP!
1. Chapter 1: Just another job, almost

Higure stood between the bamboos, the Ninja was about to strike. A huge ogre passed him, _what is an ogre doing here – so far from the Sokenzan mountain range?_ Higure wondered, but wasted no time on finding that out. He quickly went on, using the shadows as cover for his movements. He drew his knife, and with one swift move, he slashed the oversized ogre's throat. The creature fell silently on the stone floor with a silent _thunk_.

_Very good, young one._ Higure heard a thick voice whispering in his ear, the ninja looked around, but no one was next to him. 'Weird…' Higure thought to himself. He went on, his feet barely making a sound on the floor while he hid the ogre's body. He looked on the house, now only a dozen meters or so from him, he saw a big shadow moving along the _shoji_ the house was made of, another ogre, he could easily see the ogre had an O-Naginanta on his shoulder. 'Marvelous. Simply marvelous, I have to infiltrate a house with a guard THIS big?' Higure thought sarcastically. _Now, now, there's no turning back in this point, you took the job._ The strange voice whispered again in Higure's ear. Higure decided that whoever just said it was right. So he went on.

Higure climbed swiftly on the roof, making sure his Shuriken belt was in order, he drew his Neko-Te, and put it on his hands. He made a hole through the wall on the other side of the surprisingly small building, and went in quickly. Before he managed to understand what's happening, he was pinned down on a wall. It was an ogre with an O-Naginanta. It seemed that the building was actually only one room, all well-lit. "Just as he said." The ogre smiled, revealing a large set of razor-sharp teeth. "You're lucky, little man." The ogre said, "I will not feed you to my Oni, because there is someone here who wants to speak to you." He said, moving aside, but keeping his firm grip on Higure's hands and feet, "That's enough, Kolo, bring him here." A cold voice said from the shadows. The voice seemed somehow familiar to Higure's ears. The ogre took Higure away from the wall, holding him like a sort of pig – one hand holding Higure's two hands, and another one holding his feet. The ogre dropped him down, giving Higure a pain in his back when he hit the wooden floor.

"Alright, what do you want?" Higure asked the dark figure which sat in the shadows. Higure decided to sit too on the floor. "First thing – take you weapons off. Yes, also your Shuko that you have in your left pocket. Higure was amazed, he actually _knew_ where he had weapons! A silent breeze came from the hole Higure has made. "I have a job for you. It won't be an easy one, but I'm sure you two will be able to take care of it." The figure said coolly. "What do you mean, 'you two'"? Higure asked suspiciously while he took all his weapons off him. "The job needs brains, stealth and brawn. I'll provide your brawns, you'll just be the brains and the stealth." The figure said, Higure looked to the corner of his eye at the big ogre. Another breeze went through the hole, flapping everybody's clothes a bit. 'He expects me to go with that ogre? Well, it's not like I have a choice…' Higure thought bitterly. "That's right, you don't have a choice." The figure said, "And you're right again – I want you to go with Kolo." He said simply. Higure started to think deeply. "Alright then, what's the job?" He asked. Another breeze went through the hole, it sounded as though someone was laughing, satisfied.


	2. Chapter 2: The Job

Disclaimer – I do not own MTG.

"The job is quite simple – I have a target which needs to be taken care of." The figure said, Kolo came next to Higure. "This target of mine is an old monk in the Jukai forest, not so far from its Kodama." 'What the… He wants me to go not so far from such a spirit? I hope it's not Kodama of the North tree, or I'm in big trouble. I have some personal affairs with it. I barely managed to escape it, after I stole one of its hairs. He sure was grumpy, but it was just a hair.' The figure suddenly laughed, "Don't worry, you won't need to go next to the North Tree, but to the centre tree, and I'm sorry to inform you that you'll might have to cross Orochi-territory underway." "Marvelous, simply marvelous. Not that I have a choice now, do I?" Higure asked with a little smile on his face, though that smile was concealed behind his special clothing. "I could have just killed you now, you know." The figure said, nodding towards Kolo, and the big ogre bowed a little, than picked up Higure by the scuff, making it hard for Higure to breathe, "You shall tend more respect for my master, scum, or you shall feel the wrath of an o-bakemono whose honor has been hurt." The ogre said, starting to put his hand on his huge sword's hilt. "Understood, will treat this sire with proper respect." Higure croaked. The ogre let Higure fall, he gasped quickly for breath, and regained his previous stand, in front of the figure. "This monk used to be a friend of the old monk Dosan, the Falling Leaf, but after a row they had in the beginning of the war, they got separated – Dosan thought that he should keep on praying to the Kami, while this other monk, Chi-Ku is his name, decided that we are bound to fight each Kami that even seems hostile. He is now at the Okina Temple, helping the Order of the Sacred Bell fend the Kami off. I beg your leave, now." The figure suddenly said, "I have other business to keep up. Oh yes, Higure – don't screw this job up like you just did to your last one." He said, it struck Higure like thunder. Before he managed to response, the figure was gone, simply gone with a silent breeze of the wind.

"So, Kolo, which Oni can you call to help us?" Higure asked Kolo, they were already about half a day underway, and didn't have a single conversation. "My Oni? They are special." Kolo said with a sort of smile, it was clear that he liked summoning Oni. "I won't ruin your surprise, though. It won't be fair – you'll have a sort of advantage on me; I've heard about your skills. I cannot wait to see if we'll cooperate well together." He said, Higure had the feeling that this might end good after all. It took them about two more days to get to the Jukai Forest's bounds. They were just on the edge of the Araba plains, to their west lay Eiganjo, to their east Minamo School. Higure sighed while he looked to the east, what will his master say, when he'll hear that he took another job instead of the original one? They went in the thick mass of woods. "Wait a sec…" Higure said, "How are we supposed to find the Okina temple?" he asked Kolo, slamming on his own forehead. "Don't worry, I can take care of that. It's a simple question of interrogation." He smiled a smile that did not touch his yellow eyes. Higure noticed for the first that this ogre shaman was almost as large as the famous Hidetsugu. Higure shrugged only by the thought of what could happen if the ogre turned sides against him. They went on, "Follow me, I've been here already once. If the temple is in the centre, I think I know the way." Higure said.

"We're lost, admit it." Kolo said. "No, I can assure you – I've been here, there – there's a tree that looks familiar!" Higure said, suddenly getting exited. "All of those trees look familiar! We're lost, and this is the 5th damned time we've been to this clearing! Will you let me have the leading by chance?" He asked, his eyes rolling to all sides, seeking possible threats. "Alright, Mr. Navigation, you lead the way." Higure said, clearly mad and disappointed at himself. The ogre closed his eyes in concentration; a black orb appeared in front of him. "North." The ogre said to the orb, the orb flew up high above them, and flew to their left. "North is to our left, and by the feeling of it the edge of the forest is about twenty kilometers away to the north, so we should go to the north for a few more hours, and then we're bound to get to Okina." The ogre said with a satisfied smile. They went to their left.

"We've been underway for four freaking hours! You said in an hour or two!" Higure said angrily to Kolo, they've been walking for more than four hours, and were surrounded by trees from every direction. "So what, ninja? You got us around in circles half a day!" They both suddenly silenced, something was coming from the bushes, and it wasn't trying to hide it. They made ready, the ogre drawing his huge sword, while Higure quickly climbed on the trees. Seconds later, a gigantic creature came charging into them. It seemed as though it was made entirely of wood, with a huge mouth in the middle, it had some legs and arms too, but on the end of each arm was another mouth, around it were some floating objects that looked like bugs. "Great, a Gnarled Mass!" Kolo said with some satisfaction, and charged towards the Kami. The Gnarled Mass managed to block him with one of his objects, but Kolo simply trampled it. The mass launched one of its heads towards Kolo, mouth open, revealing teeth that were just as sharp as Kolo's. Kolo caught the head in the front, and opened it like it was a snake's head. Higure used the entire racket to get to a nice position, and he sprung on the Kami, with his Shuko on his one hand, and his sword on the other, he used his hand with the Shuko to stay on the struggling Kami, while his other hand started to slash through the Kami. The Kami shook Higure off, landing him next to a tree, it started to charge towards Higure, he sprang up the tree, causing the Kami to collide against the tree, making it fall with a sound that was well above all the natural noises. Higure sprang again, "A little help, ogre?" Higure asked Kolo, who simply stood there, watching Higure battle the lesser Kami. He charged towards the Kami, slashing it with his sword. "Help you asked, help you got." He said with a smile while the Kami yelled in pain and anger. Higure used this opportunity to spring towards the Kami; his sword pierced the creature's surprisingly soft body, the sword entered through its mouth. And with a last shriek, the Kami fell on the ground. Higure drew his sword away quickly, and sprang afar. Kami were known to have the ability to return from the dead in a different form. Higure put his Shuko back in its special pocket, wiped the blood of his sword, and put it back in the sheath. "Well, that takes care of that." Higure said with a little smile. "Why did you just stand there?" He asked Kolo, "I was thinking is I should or should not summon a lesser Oni for help; I guess I didn't have to do it." He said with a smile. The wind started to change, it blew this time from the west, carrying battle cries and shrieks of some beasts with it. "That's got to be the Okina Temple." Kolo said with a smile. "Yeah, probably." Higure said. "It seems that we're both just as good at navigating in this forest." Higure said with a sarcastic smile. "Come on, I want to see if you'll need your Oni in the battle in Okina!" Higure said, the began to run to the west.


End file.
